One Drive PDF annotator erasing annotations after saving

Question

One Drive PDF annotator erasing annotations after saving

MBE 5

I use one drive on my iPad to annotate PDF’s. Frustratingly, when I save my annotations, they intermittently (but frequently) disappear/get erased. This is regardless of whether I exit the app or stay in it. I can see the annotations if I go back in the version histories (in the web app) but if I try to restore those previous versions, other annotations will be randomly missing from throughout the document (plus my new changes are lost so not a good solution). I’ve updated the app, my iPad, etc and it still happens. Found an old thread about this but there was no resolution. What do you suggest??

paul quane 0 Reputation points

2026-02-04T14:59:07.9433333+00:00

I completed a form and saved it and when i emailed it a whole page goes missing (even though i can see still it in the original) also some of the annotations seem to be faded

2 answers

Your answer

paul quane 0 Reputation points

2026-02-04T14:59:07.9433333+00:00

I completed a form and saved it and when i emailed it a whole page goes missing (even though i can see still it in the original) also some of the annotations seem to be faded

Answer 1

Francisco Montilla 29,980 Independent Advisor

Hello,

This sounds like a sync conflict where the local app cache isn't merging correctly with the server version, causing the overwrite.

Go to your iPad Settings, scroll down to find the OneDrive app, and tap on it. Under the Troubleshooting or Reset section, enable the option to Clear Account Settings. Once enabled, force close the OneDrive app and open it again to sign back in.

Let me know if this works!

paul quane 0 Reputation points

2026-02-09T10:47:11.86+00:00

Thanks Francisco for taking the time to answer. Much appreciated. I took those steps .. BUTif i open the doc in adobe acrobat reader i see the same issues in the result.. some annotations get changed from black ink to white ink / some to outlined in black white ink and some to faded black ink. I think maybe this is more than a sync issue and maybe is the OneDrive pdf application not saving the annotations in the correct adobe pdf format ?

Answer 2

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with the OneDrive PDF annotator where your annotations are not saving properly. Here are a few suggestions that might help:

Ensure Stable Internet Connection: Since OneDrive relies on cloud storage, a stable internet connection is essential for saving changes. If your connection is unstable, it could lead to issues with saving annotations.
Check Save Status: After making annotations, ensure that the status bar at the bottom of the screen indicates that your changes have been saved. If it shows "Saving..." or "Working...", it means your edits have not yet been sent to the server, and closing the app could result in lost changes.
Update the App: You mentioned that you've updated the app, but make sure that you are using the latest version of OneDrive available on the App Store, as updates often include bug fixes.
Clear App Cache: Sometimes, clearing the cache of the app can resolve unexpected behavior. You can try uninstalling and reinstalling the app to clear any potential cache issues.
Contact Support: If the problem persists, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance. They may have more specific troubleshooting steps or be aware of ongoing issues with the app.

If you continue to face issues, documenting the specific steps that lead to the loss of annotations may help in diagnosing the problem when you contact support.

References:

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One Drive PDF annotator erasing annotations after saving

2 answers

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